Agreed that it can be a fine line, walking by Grace versus fleshly good works’ that come from our own efforts. I suppose we have to constantly examine our motivations because our acceptance of Christ should change our hearts……and THAT is what will change our deeds.

I have learned to look at the broader meaning of these words & phrases, because the original Greek is much more expressive. And although I don’t know Greek, there is a lot to be learned with an Amplified Bible and a few translations that expound on words and phrases like “fear and trembling”.

The Amplified expounds:”Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, [a]with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ)."

Fear in this case is also reverence. And work can be translated into the broader terms of “cultivate, carry out, and fully complete.

After all, Hebrews 4:16 says: “ Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].”

This boldness comes from our unshaken faith that Grace (a freely offered gift that we do not deserve by our own merits) will make us right before God.

I’ve come to believe there is a fine line that each of us has to learn in our walk. Yes, we should take heed from Romans 6:1-2 “ What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”

But if we are constantly in doubt of our salvation, and do not see it as a Gift from God, then satan can accuse us by saying that “we’ll never be good enough”. And once that happens, it compromises our ability to “fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near the throne”. I believe this is one of the devil's oldest tricks.

But we’re all human and it can take time to find this balance.

We will not be perfect until Christ returns!

"Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is." 1 John 3:2

"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." 1 Cor. 13:12

This means when we see Christ face to face, then we shall be just like him.

Until that day, we are being changed from glory to glory into the image of Christ.

"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." 2 Cor. 3:18

Sadly, this mistaken idea of attaining perfection in this life comes from versions which translate the Greek word "telios" as perfection, rather than goal or maturity.

The goal of our Christian walk it to become "mature" by following Christ. Perfection is not till we see Christ face to face, when he returns.

I'm looking forward to that day!

There is a perfection to be obtained here on earth, or the Lord could not say: "Be perfect as your father in heaven is perfect." This perfection is the love that is even able to love our enemies.(Matthew 5.48) This perfect love drives out fear (1.John 4.18) and makes as witnesses (or martyr in Greek) in the power of the Spirit and willing to lay down our life for our brothers.(1.John 3.16) An apt example of perfection here on earth is the father of our faith, Abraham, whose faith was made perfect, when he sacrificed his one and only son in obedience of faith to God. (James 2.21-23) If this is the exemplary image of perfection, should we be content with anything less, even if more than that can not be achieved, because we still are in this body of sin and death - inherited from the first Adam's Fall.(Romans 7.24) But even there, according to Romans 8 we can, if we walk in the Spirit, have total victory over all desires of the flesh and be more then overcomers. What not can be achieved here on earth is described in verse 23-24: We, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption us sons, the redemption of our bodies. for in this hope we are saved....